Jerry Littlejohn | Frisco ISD Athletic Director | Frisco ISD Athletic website
Playing in their first state final, the Wakeland volleyball team began Saturday's championship match with some nerves at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland. However, after losing the initial four points, they regained control and defeated Cedar Park in straight sets, 25-20, 25-19, 25-23, to claim the Class 5A Division II state championship.
"This was the goal all year," stated Wakeland coach U’ilani Womble. "We graduated a good class last year and the kids really took it upon themselves to say, ‘OK, I’m ready to go. We’re going to finish what we started.’"
The victory was secured with a decisive spike by junior Hannah Lee, who achieved 15 kills and was named MVP of the championship game. When asked about her feelings on delivering the final kill that clinched their win, she simply said: "Amazing."
Despite a scoreline suggesting dominance, Wakeland (35-6) maintained control throughout most of the match after Cedar Park (34-16) opened with a four-point lead. Senior Bella Wood noted their resilience: "It’s four points. We’ve come back from 12 at one point. We’ve done it."
Wakeland managed to recover and win the first set and then led almost continuously in the second set. Although Cedar Park took an early lead in the third set at 9-3, Wakeland rallied to tie at 13-13 before securing victory.
This triumph marked Wakeland as Frisco ISD's first volleyball team to win a state championship two years after Reedy advanced to a state final but fell short against Wakeland in a regional final.
As District 12-5A co-champions and consistently top-ranked throughout the season, Wakeland wasn't considered an underdog. Yet their playoff journey felt like a storybook tale.
In earlier matches leading up to this win, Wakeland swept Lovejoy—the defending champion—and outlasted Argyle over five sets in the semifinal before ending Cedar Park’s impressive 21-match winning streak for their title.
"Our motto this year is leave a legacy," expressed senior Sarah Pfiffner. "So just thinking about in five years and them looking back at our pictures and the trophy that we have and knowing we just left a legacy, it’s kind of crazy to think about."
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